Reenforcing means for traveling bags or the like



Aug. I9, 1924. v

A. J. PETRIE ET AL REENFO'RCING MEANS FOR TRAVELING BAGS OR THE LIKE Filed Oct. 27

INVENTOR. $7M! 6 6344; @L

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 19, 1924.

CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN."

AUGUST J. rnTnin, or WEST ALLIS, ND EDWIN :e. BARTLETT, or MILWAUK E; wis oonsm, assrenons To MIL'WAUKEE STAMPING 00.;jor wnsT ALLIS, WISCONSIN, A'

REENFORGING MEANS FOR TRAVELING BAGS OR THE LIKE.

Application filed October 27, 1921. Serial No. 510,959.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, AUGUsT J. Pnrnm and EDWIN B. BARTLETT, citizens of the United States, and residents of West Allis and Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, respectively, have invented new and useful Improvements in Reenforcing Means for Traveling Bags or the like, of which the followingis a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in reenforcing means for traveling bags or the like and more particularly to reenforcing means for that type of bag comprising a pair of side portions or sections of substantially the same size hingedly connected so that they may swing toward or away from each other in closing or opening the bag, the upper. part of one of the side portions extending beyond the longitudinal center line of the bag and projecting over the corresponding upper part of the other side portion when the bag is closed, a handle member fastened to the upper part of the first mentioned side portion and a device for locking the side por tions in their closed position, this type of bag being commonly known as the Gladstone bag.

Bags of this type, as heretofore constructed have not given satisfactory service because the side portion not supported directly by the handle, under a load, tends to pull away from, or to sag with respect to, the side portion having the handle, which results in the hinges and locking devices being subjected to undue strains. The primary object of this invention is to provide rigid reenforcing means for bags of this type which will relieve the hinges and look ing devices from said strains by furnishing a means for the transmission of loads from the side member not having a handleto the other side member having a handle and thereby effectively prevent any substantial relative vertical or longitudinal movement of the side portions.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device for bags of the class ,de-

scribed which will prevent the side pore tions twisting out of shape and the bag gaping open at the ends.

The invention consists in the novel con-' Fig. 2 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 22 of Fig. l; c

Fig. 3'i's an inverted plan view of the reenforcing means shown in the preceding views; I

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional View of a modified form of reenforcing means;

Fig. 5 is.atransversesectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

ig. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line 6 6 in Fig. l. i

Like characters of reference designate like parts in the several views.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 23, inclusive, of the drawings, it will be seen that a frag mentary portion of a bag is shown compris ing similarly constructed side portions or sections 7 and ,8 which are mounted upon inverted U-shaped frames 9 and 10 respectively, the'vertical legs of said frames be ing connected at their lower ends by hinges 11, only one hinge being shown in the drawings. The side portions of the bag include a covering of leather or other suitable material which may befastened to the frames in any desired manner. The side portion 7 is formed so. as to provide a vertical portion 7* and a horizontal portion '7". The side portion 8 is formed so as to provide a vertical portion 8 anda horizontal portion 8's. Said vertical portions 7 and 8 and said horizontalportions .7 and 8 extend the entire length of the bag, the horizontal portion 8 overlapping the portion 7 The handle of the bag (not shown) is fastened to the h-orizontalportionS of the bag sectionS.

The frame members 9 and 10 extend sub-' stantially the entire length of the bag and are positioned adjacent the portions 7 and 8, respectively, of the bag sections.

The bagconstructed as above described is of common construction and when the bag is lifted by the handle, the side section 8 tends to pull upwardly away from the side section 7, the latter section carrying substantially one-half of the contents of the bag. In order to. prevent the side section 7 from sagging under a load relative to the side section 8, angle irons 12 and 13 are secured to the vertical frame members 9 and lOflrespectively, the horizontal portion 12 of the angle iron 12 overlapping the horizontal portion 13 of the angle iron 13, which arrangement affords a firm support and pre-' vents any sagging of the side section 7 relative to the side section 8 of the bag. The bag at each end is preferably provided with a locking device 1 1 which includes a pivoted locking tongue 15 which is adapted to enter an aperture 16 formed in the horizontal portion 8 and an aperture 17 formed in the portion 12* of the angle iron 12, the portion 13* of the angle iron 13 being cut away at 1 8 to permit free movement of the locking tongue. V] hen the locking tongue is in position shown in Fig. 2, the side portions or sections of the bag are effectively locked together. I

Referring now to Figs. at and 5, it will be seen that theangle members 19 and 20 are secured to the vertical members 9 and 10 of the respective frames, the outer ends of said angle members being bent around so that the vertical portions 19 and 20? thereof lie at substantially right angles to the horizontal portions 19 and 20 of said respective members. means effectively prevents any sagging or longitudinal movement of the side portion 7 relative to the side portion 8 and rigidities the entire framework of the bag. The horizontal portions 19 and 20 of the respective angle members 19 and 20 are provided with registering apertures 21 which are adapted to receive the locking tongue 15, the aperture in the horizontal portion 20* being so positioned with respect to the locking tongue 15 that the side portions of the bag will be drawn into close engagement when the locking tongue is in itsoperative position.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that reenforcing means embodying the principles of this invention may be readily applied to a bag of the class described without making any material changes in the construction or design of the bag. The hinges and locking devices of a bag equipped with such reenforcing means are not subjected to any undue strains. The weight of the loads carried by the respective b ag sections is transferred to the handle of the bag in such a manner as to prevent any sagging or other relative movement of the section 7 with respect to the section 8.

We claim; 7 1. In combination with a traveling bag or This form of reenforcingv the like having a pair of hingedly connected frame members for the side, portions of the bag, of reenforcing means comprising a laterally extending member fixed to one of said frame members and a laterally extending member fixed to the other of'said frame members, said laterally extending members overlapping and having registering apertures, and a locking device having a downwardly extending tongue adapted to enter said apertures when the side portions are in their closed position. a

2. In combination with a traveling bag or the like having a pair of hingedly connected side frame members, of reenforcing means comprising angle members fixed to the respective side frames with the horizontal legs thereof overlapping and having registering apertures, and a locking device having. a downwardly extending tongue adapted to enter said apertures when the side portions are in their closed position.

3. In combination with a traveling bag or the like having a pair of hingedly connected. side frames, of reenforcing means comprising a pair of laterally extending L- shaped members mounted on each end of the upper part of the frames, one of the members of eachpair being fixed to one of said side frames and the other member of each pair being fixed to the other of said side frames, the respective membersof'each pair overlapping for the purpose described.

4. In combination with a traveling bag or the like having a pair of hingedly connected side frames, of reenforcing means comprising a pair of L-shaped angle members mounted on each end of the upper part of the frames, one of the members of each pair being fixed to one of said side frames and the other member of each pair being fixed to the other of said side frames, the outstanding legs of the respective angle members of each pair overlapping for the purpose described.

5. In combination with a traveling bag or the like having a pair of hingedly connected side frames, of reenforcing means comprising a pair of L-shaped angle members mounted on .each end of the upper part of the frames, one of the members of each pair being fixed to one of said side frames and the other member of each pair being fixed to the other of said side frames, and outstanding legs of the respective members of each pair overlapping. and having registering apertures, and a locking device asso ciated with each saidpair of members having a downwardly extending tongue adapted to enter said apertures when the side portions are in their closed position for "the purpose described.

6. In combination with a traveling bag or the like having a pair of hingedly connected frames for the side portions of the portions are in their closed position, and a handle member'fseoured to the side, portion having the outstanding legs of the angle members underneath the outstanding'legs of the angle members secured to the other side portion.-

In testimony wherof, we affix our signatures.

v AUGUST J. PETRIE.

EDWIN B. BARTLETT. 

